Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
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This creamy chicken tortilla soup has all the bold Southwestern flavor of the classic, but with a smooth, velvety texture that makes it extra special—pure comfort in a bowl.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This creamy chicken tortilla soup was inspired by a version served at Tommy Bahama Restaurant, a breezy, island-inspired chain with a laid-back vibe. Unlike typical tomato- and broth-based tortilla soups, this one starts with a purée of vegetables, broth, and corn tortillas, giving it a hearty texture and deep, satisfying flavor. In my opinion, it beats the standard version by a mile.
At the restaurant, it’s topped with grilled chicken, charred corn, tortilla strips, and a drizzle of crema, but you can make it your own. Diced avocado, black beans, pico de gallo, cilantro, or a sprinkle of cheese would all be delicious additions.
“Made this last night and holy moly it was good!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Olive Oil and Butter: Used for sautéing the vegetables and also add flavor to the soup.
- Onions, Garlic, Green Bell Pepper: These aromatic vegetables are essential for the soup’s base flavor. They add sweetness, depth, and a slight bite.
- All-purpose Flour: Thickens the soup, giving it a more substantial texture.
- Chicken Broth: Serves as the liquid base of the soup, providing depth, richness, and body.
- Corn Tortillas: Thicken the soup and add a traditional corn flavor.
- Cumin, Chili Powder, and Cayenne Pepper: These spices add warmth, heat, and a smoky flavor.
- Chicken, Avocado, Corn, Beans, Cilantro, Sour Cream: Optional add-ins for finishing the soup.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics and peppers. Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. If they’re browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low.
Step 2: Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about a minute. This cooks off the raw flour taste and helps thicken the soup later, giving it that rich, creamy texture. The mixture will look a bit pasty at first—that’s okay.
Step 3: Build the base. Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Give it a good stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. The tortillas will soften and infuse the broth with a subtle corn flavor that gives this soup its signature taste once blended.
Step 4: Blend. Take the pot off the heat and use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly, then carefully purée it in batches in a regular blender. Be sure to remove the center knob from the lid and cover the opening with a dish towel to allow steam to escape and prevent splatters.
Step 5: Finish and serve. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Stir in the chicken (if using), then ladle the soup into bowls and add your favorite toppings. The soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes beautifully for longer storage.
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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 2½ cups/375 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 6 small (6-in/15-cm corn tortillas), cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional Additions
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers
- Sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, corn, cilantro, avocado, black beans, lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. (Turn the heat to medium-low if the mixture is browning too quickly.)
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, cut tortillas, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then use a handheld immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender top and cover with a dish towel to avoid splatters.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the chicken, if using, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve with optional additions.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is so delicious & satisfying especially on a cold, rainy day. Another keeper.
As someone who once lived in Florida and then moved away, I first discovered this recipe in the cookbook and wanted to make it for nostalgia’s sake. I love the simple, yet flavorful base with the option of countless mix-ins. I don’t make many pureed soups but this one is often in the rotation for lunches or when I have an excess of rotisserie chicken or avocados which are my favorite to add. An immersion blender really makes this soup easy.
Perfect! We made this exactly as listed with the exception of adding one large chopped jalapeno (no seeds) with the onions and pepper because we like a little extra heat. We used leftover rotisserie chicken. Soup has incredible flavor and is hearty and heartwarming. Love all your recipes, we are never disappointed!
This is hands down the best chicken tortilla soup recipe I have ever tried. I just made it for a big gathering and had four people ask for the recipe. Flavors are perfectly balanced and the corn tortillas give a depth of flavor. I made it gluten free by thickening with corn starch—works great.
My daughter gave me your cookbook for a gift years ago. Best cookbook ever! I’ve used more recipes in it than any other I own. I’m from AZ but live in Germany and this soup is a comforting reminder of home. I used to live in NM and I use Hatch green Chili powder instead of the red. But only because I have it shipped to me. But it is the only substitute I make. Equally as good though with red. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for your recipes
I was flipping through the pages of your cookbook looking for inspiration on what to cook for dinner. This soup was one I had previously passed by judging it to be too simple. But this time I decided to give it a try. I could not have been more wrong. This soup is seriously one of my favorite soups ever. The texture is smooth and creamy, the flavor is rich, just the right amount of spice. So comforting and filling. I did add some shredded rotisserie chicken, but it would have been just as wonderful without it.
I LOVE tortilla soup; this is no exception! Thank you for posting such a delicious recipe. I will be making this again
Is there a typo in your cookbook p. 65? I have your cookbook and decided to make this soup for dinner. I was following the recipe in the book but decided I would look online to see if there was a video ( I like to follow along). Your recipe online adds an extra step of 3tbs flour and the book does not. I’m just about to use my immersion blender but I can already tell this soup isn’t going to thicken up. To me that makes this less of a meal and more of an appetizer. 🙁
Yes, Audrey, I’m sorry! That is a typo in the cookbook, so the 3 tablespoons of flour do act as a thickener here. I also updated the recipe recently to make the soup a little thicker by decreasing the broth. I apologize for any confusion!
It’s cold and rainy today. I made it and it’s delicious! So easy to make. I had left over rosteissere chicken and used the medley of peppers from Trader Joe’s since I didn’t have a fresh bell pepper. To be honest I got a little scared with all that onion at first, but I’m glad I kept going with it. Everyone in my household loved it. Kids are 4, 6 and 8 .
This chicken tortilla soup has become a favorite staple in our household. We use a fresh rotisserie chicken from Costco and it is always delicious. Also, I do not have an immersion blender, so we use our Bullet. It works just fine. Thank you!
This soup is absolutely delicious! I’ve made and tasted several variations of chicken tortilla soup over the years, but this one tops them all. I used all of the suggested toppings, as they complement each other. I didn’t change a thing. So easy to make and, for me, a comfort food!